Play it Forward: Top 10 sports events Feb. 17-23 you won’t want to miss

This cover image taken by James Macari for Sports Illustrated shows models, from left, Nina Agdal, Lily Aldridge, and Chrissy Teigen on the cover of the 2014 Swimsuit Issue. The 50th Anniversary issue will go on sale on February 18.

No. 1 XXII Winter Olympics closing ceremonies

Details/TV: Sunday at 8 p.m., Channel 4 (delayed)

The build-up to Vladimir Putin’s closing number could be heightened by a few circumstances that play into how Americans will be viewed as they’re waving good bye — such as whether Jonathan Quick and the U.S. men’s team figures out a way to make it clear to the hockey gold-medal game (Sunday, 3:30 a.m., Channel 4), if there’s a U.S.-Canada final again in the women’s hockey gold-medal contest (Thursday at 9 a.m., Channel 4) and if Gracie Gold polishes up a golden performance in women’s figure skating (Wednesday at 7 a.m., NBC Sports Net; 8 p.m., Channel 4 delayed). If Bob Costas is around to see it through, all the better. Mayvbe he could be the ceremonial flag bearer if he gets his eye issues cleared up.

President Obama has dispatched tennis legend Billie Jean King with former Olympic speed skaters Bonnie Blair and Eric Heiden as part of the U.S. delegation for the final celebration. Ralph Lauren also has whipped up a new sweater design for the American athletes to wear when they march in for the last time — something a little less garish than those opening-ceremonies garb.

For the final week of competition, among the other things listed as anticipated viewing:

No. 2 NASCAR Sprint Cup: Daytona 500

Details/TV: At Daytona Beach, Fla., Sunday at 10 a.m., Channel 11:

The best way for Danica Patrick to answer her critics — or at least one legendary racer’s twisted criticism — is to start this season with a runaway victory in the sports’ Super Bowl opener. She started on the pole a year ago and only went backward and finished eighth behind Jimmie Johnson, which kicked off his sprint to a sixth Sprint Cup championship. Austin Dillion has the pole this year in the No. 3 car, which once belonged to grandpa Dale Earnhardt.

No. 3 NBA: Clippers at Oklahoma City

Details/TV: Sunday at 10 a.m., Channel 7:

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They’ve both won on their own home courts in the previous two meetings, the last amounting to a 105-91 OKC win on Nov. 21. The Thunder isn’t apologizing for a 23-3 home record so far this season. That means from the start of the 2010-11 season, the Thunder is 143-28 at the 18,203-seat Chesapeake Energy Arena. The Clippers’ last win there was 100-98 in April, 2012.

The Dwight Howard story line is so stale by now, we’re not even certain the Lakers fans attending home games by this season actually remember him. The boos may not be as loud with the shrinking attendance.

No. 5 College basketball: UCLA at CAL

Details/TV: Wednesday at 7:30 p.m., Pac-12 Network:

If the Pac-12 conference regular-season standings mean anything — aside from seeding for the postseason tournament in Vegas — than this one could lock down a No. 2 seed behind Arizona. The Bruins’ 12-point win over the Bears on Jan. 22 came after a 21-12 run in the final seven minutes to pull away. At the time, it put UCLA and Cal in a second-place tie in the standings.

Also this week:

UCLA at Stanford, Saturday at 3 p.m., ESPN2

No. 6 College basketball: USC at Stanford

Details/TV: Thursday at 8 p.m., Pac-12 Network:

The smart money usually is on the Cardinal, but it needed seven of Chasson Randle’s 17 points in overtime a few weeks ago to outlast the Trojans, 79-71, in overtime at the Galen Center.

Also this week:

USC at Cal, Sunday at 5 p.m., Fox Sports 1

No. 7 NBA trade deadline

Details/TV: Thursday at noon:

The latest update by ESPN.com’s John Hollinger on his NBA playoff projection give the Lakers a zero-point-zero shot of playing beyond the regular season. Stop the presses. Forward Pau Gasol’s future with the team also may be zero. If rumors continue to heat up that he’ll be on his way to Phoenix for a draft pick and/or the injured Emeka Okafor, are you for it? Does it depend on whether Gasol’s groin injury is healed enough for him to get into at least one game before this deadline lands? There’s also rumbling about the Lakers making a deal with Chicago for former USC star Taj Gibson.

No. 8 College basketball: Pepperdine at Loyola Marymount

Details: Thursday at 7 p.m., ESPNU:

They may be far from the best in the West Coast Conference standings, but their rivalry remains relevant. The Waves continued their dominance over the Lions by winning for the 15th time in the last 16 meeting in Malibu, 89-69, on Feb. 1. Pepperdine ended a three game losing streak at LMU when it claimed a 60-57 win last season.

No. 9 UFC 170: Ronda Rousey vs. Sara McMann

Details/TV: at Mandalay Bay Events Center, in Las Vegas, Saturday at 7 p.m., PPV ($54.95): Almost a year to the day, Rousey put herself on the major mixed-martial arts radar with the widely watched triumph over Liz Carmouche. The encore continues. This time, Rousey (8-0) and McMann (7-0) have perfect records and were Olympic medal winners — Rousey, a judo bronze in 2008 and McMann a silver in freestyle wrestling in 2004. But oddsmakers don’t give McMann much of a shot as Bovada has Rousey a -450 favorite. Rousey’s bantamweight title bout can be taken in this co-feature that was to include Rashad Evans against Daniel Cormier for the light heavyweight men’s championship. But an injury pushed out Evans and brought in Patrick Cummins to salvage things.

No. 10 Sports Illustrated 2014 swimsuit issue

Details: Tuesday delivery

It starts to get a little creepy for the 50th anniversary issue. In a marketing move by Mattel, the toy company has taken out a four-page ad and hired famed photographer Walter Iooss Jr., to take shots of Barbie in different bikinis. This will include Mattel selling a limited edition SI Barbie through Target as well. According to a story in the New York Times, “Mattel is trying to do for Barbie what Sports Illustrated has sought to do for years on behalf of the issue: leave behind perceptions of babes in bathing suits and compare Barbie to swimsuit alumna like (Tyra) Banks, (Christie) Brinkley, Kathy Ireland and Heidi Klum, who are celebrated for their accomplishments as entrepreneurs and career women.” Said Lisa McKnight, senior vice president of marketing for North America at Mattel in El Segundo, “We’re focusing on the legendary women of Sports Illustrated who, like Barbie, launched their careers in a swimsuit.” Does Ken approve of all this? That’s the next exclusive for Keith Olbermann. Meanwhile, because David Letterman is on vacation, the covergirls for the real SI issue — already announced as Nina Agdal, Lily Aldridge and Chrissy Teigen — are scheduled to appear Monday on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (11:35 p.m., Channel 7).